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Lisa Knauf: Candidate Profile

Addison Library Board

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: AddisonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Addison Library Board Age: 51Family: Two ChildrenOccupation: AttorneyEducation: BA - Marquette University, Milwaukee WI JD - Northern IL University, College of LawCivic involvement: Trustee and current President, Board of Trustees, Addison Public Library Volunteer Attorney, Administer Justice (an organization that provides legal services to low or no-income Kane and DuPage County residents)Elected offices held: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Committee ChairQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?Libraries play an important part in a community, providing access to information, to technology and as a gathering place for residents. The Addison Public Library is an asset to our residents and patrons and I would like to continue to be a part of making it even better than it is today.If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are a non-incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.A successful project to build a new library is one of the accomplishments of which I am most proud to say I was part of during my tenure on the board. It is a beautiful building, environmentally friendly and has a lot of great amenities. As a board we have worked hard to expand the library's reach to all segments of our community, with new early learning initiatives to foster a love of reading in our youngest patrons as well as more programs and materials for residents whose first language is not English.Do you have a library card? How long have you had it? How often do you use it?Yes, I have had a library card since I was in Kindergarten and I use it all the time!Space is an issue at many libraries. If that's the case at your library, would your solution be to expand the physical plant or make room by doing away with parts of the collection that technology has made less critical? Explain.Addison built a new library which opened in 2008 and use of the library has almost doubled since it opened. Popular features like small study and meeting rooms and the teen area are in great demand and often cannot accommodate the number of patrons that want to use them. We are currently assessing the library's interior spaces to try and accommodate more patrons in these and other areas of the building. Included in that analysis will be an evaluation of the collection to determine if there are areas that can be reduced or eliminated due to the availability of on-line resources.What impact have economic and technological changes had on libraries? How does a library remain relevant? How should its role in the community change?Using the internet isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity in today's world. For many residents, the local library is the only access to the internet available to them. The way patrons use technology has had a large impact on the library. Providing access to both print materials and on-line resources such as e-books, downloadable audio books, and research databases allows the library to maintain its position as the community's source for information in a wide variety of formats. The library staff helps patrons access this information; it just isn't always on the shelf anymore.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Making the best and most efficient use of the tax dollars available.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Angela Merkel. the first female German Chancellor. She is one of the most successful national leaders in the world today.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?As the oldest of five, there were many different opinions. I learned to take the time to listen to other viewpoints, you always learn something.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spend time travelling abroad during college or after graduation, it's much harder once you have a family and other obligations.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I was a Journalism major in college and my writing skills have been put to good use in my job as an attorney.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be nice to everyone you meet, you never know where or when you will see them again; they might someday be a boss or customer.